Some women fronts fuelled Gujarat riots: Aruna Roy

New Delhi: Women fronts of some political parties had encouraged attacks on minorities during the 2002 Gujarat riots, noted social activist Aruna Roy claimed on Saturday.
"The divide of political ideology, caste and religion
play a very important role in identifying how women function.
That has been evident in so many ways. There were women`s
fronts of political organisations that encouraged the assault
on minorities in Gujarat in 2002," she said.

Delivering a lecture `The Feminist in Public Action`,
Roy, a National Advisory Council member, said women in
positions also are corrupted by power though they should
empathise with the marginalised and the oppressed.

"The fact is that women of particular castes are
tortured, not just by women but by men as well...it is true
that women in positions of power also succumb to the adage
that power corrupts," said the activist in her Sumitra Chishti
memorial lecture here.

Praising the UPA`s flagship MGNREGA scheme, Roy, who
heads the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana, termed it a
"success" of political parties and of people in rural areas.

"It is not the money but dignity attached to work. People
in rural areas seek work first and then the money," she said.

Admitting corruption was rampant in the scheme, Roy
stressed on the need to strengthen accountability within the
system by giving impetus to acts like the RTI which will
"bring corrupt netas to the book".

"Transparency must be established when you work with
public money," she added.

Speaking at the event, Yechury termed feminism "a
multi-speciality study" which sees women as equal contributors
towards development of the nation.